Youth leader

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LeeJUk

LeeJUk

Puritan Board Junior
Hey,

Well just a quick update, I've basically decided to remain in the church of Scotland. I left for a little while but really i don't feel called to any other denomination and I don't argee greatly with the free church of Scotland. I feel theres a lot of legalism and just taking secondary issues and making them first place issues.

Very soon though, as the youth leader, I am going to be given the role of organising a youth club and then teaching that youth club the bible God willing.

So I have a few questions

1) To a bunch of 16+ year olds, who have been raised in a Church that was largely doctrinally ignorant and had a liberal teach them for 3 years then no minister for 3 years.

Where would you suggest I start teaching? I'm planning on doing a whole course on the gospel itself and the need of faith and repentance. But should I start with that? Any advice??

2) Any advice on communicating with young people and communicating the gospel. I'm not going to be standing up and preaching most probably, I think we'll be sitting around a table and I'll be teaching from the scriptures and making up sheets with the scriptures on it.

I want it to be interactive but I don't really want it to end up as an inductive "what does this verse mean to you" bible study. Any suggestions?


3) Any other advice in general for my role? Really even if its a hard message I want as much advice as anyone can give me and think is relevant.


Thanks a lot, take care. God bless.
 
The "reformed" don't generally believe in "youth leaders", as can be the case time to time, I am not in total agreement with the reformed in that regard (lol). I think youth leaders can be profitable.

Now, as to where to start, I'd start with Paul Washer's book

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"In The One True God , Paul Washer has provided a sound, biblical, substantive theological study for those of us who have been longing for more. Anyone interested in bolstering their understanding of the Doctrine of God will find this study immensely valuable. Moreover, since The One True God is expositional in nature, it can also serve as a teaching tool to give young believers a solid foundation, or to aid in evangelizing unbelievers."
--Voddie Bauchum, Author of Family Driven Faith

"Paul David Washer's study guide on the doctrine of God, The One True God , is the best introductory work known to me. It sets out great truths in clear and balanced form. Human authorities are not quoted but it is evident that the author is familiar with the literature of historic Christianity and accordingly he misses the pitfalls into which others might fall. Young Christians could scarcely spend their time better than working carefully through these pages."
--Iain H Murray, Banner of Truth

"The One True God will lead you through a profitable exercise in biblical and systematic theology. You will learn what the Bible says about the character and attributes of the God who is truly like no other. This is a wonderful work that I pray will help many grow in knowing God. Read it and be blessed. Read it and worship your God."
--Daniel L Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“When my young son put on his first pair of glasses, he was shocked to find a world of beautiful things to see out there. He could not keep his mouth shut about it. This guided look at God’s disclosure of Himself will be like that for many nearsighted Christians. The study of the autobiography of God will not only manage our myopia, but will unbolt our mouths! Like a skillful optometrist, I will use and recommend The One True God often.”
– Jim Elliff, Christian Communicators Worldwide, Christian Communicators Worldwide

It can be purchased here:

Granted Ministries
 
Why not try the Good Book? A exposition through the book of John or the Book of Romans is always the best starting point. Keep the focus of the Glory of Christ, rather than on the glory of a human writer.

It baffles me that so many churches want to study through the wisdom of man rather than through the spirit of God. Unfortunatley many of my Reformed bretheren know more about Owen and Calvin than they know about the Word.
 
hmm i might go through Paul washers book that seems like quite a good idea. thanks for your suggestions guys.

can anyone answer my second question though?

" 2) Any advice on communicating with young people and communicating the gospel. I'm not going to be standing up and preaching most probably, I think we'll be sitting around a table and I'll be teaching from the scriptures and making up sheets with the scriptures on it.

I want it to be interactive but I don't really want it to end up as an inductive "what does this verse mean to you" bible study. Any suggestions? "
 
Way of the master has some good stuff, and following their style and approach works well with young people too. What I've learned about teens is this, be HONEST. Don't treat them like they are dumb or unable to understand. Don't treat them like your their superior there to bring them out of their stupidity. Don't treat them like you're their drill sergeant there to make sure they get in line. Treat them like you're an adult that cares about them and wants to interact. You'll then gain their respect. Once you've gained their respect you can be their teacher/guide/counselor.
 
I'm not so much talking about how to explain the gospel and such. I can do that fine.

but what I'm talking about is how do I get it interactive, yet keeping it away from the whole "what does this verse mean to you". I mean not only in sharing the gospel but in doctrine etc... as well.
 
in my opinion you simply have to be approachable, open, honest, yet avoid acting like a commander or drill sergeant. Simply make it clear that you don't have time to go into "what does this verse mean to you" during your meetings but you can talk to them separately at other times, or give them your e-mail, etc. to do that.

Teens need guidelines and they can handle them if given in a friendly style and approach by a person who clearly cares about them. You'll be fine so long as you don't go in there

1) Fearful
2) Arrogant
3) Bossy

All three of those will lead to failure with teens.
 
LeeJUk said:
I want it to be interactive but I don't really want it to end up as an inductive "what does this verse mean to you" bible study. Any suggestions? "
Click to expand...

Inductive Bible Study doesn’t mean asking, “What does this mean to you?”

Inductive Bible study means letting the passage speak for itself by:

Reading and observing what the text actually says, without bringing your presuppositions to it. Ask questions about the text and context.

Discovering the meaning, central ideas, intended by the writer.

Interacting with this central meaning of the text; evaluating in terms of, “If this is true, what difference would it make?”

Application to life.

This is the sort of thing we all should do in studying or preparing for preaching from a text.

-----Added 8/17/2009 at 03:19:48 EST-----

LeeJUk said:
Well just a quick update, I've basically decided to remain in the church of Scotland. I left for a little while but really i don't feel called to any other denomination and I don't argee greatly with the free church of Scotland. I feel theres a lot of legalism and just taking secondary issues and making them first place issues.
Click to expand...

You may for now be in a “tolerable” CoS congregation. The FCoS, FCoS-C, and FPCoS, have some cultural baggage, but they are definitely not “legalists.” I’d find these far more tolerable than a church no longer exercising one of the essential marks of the church, Discipline. The admission of an unrepentant, practicing sodomite to the pastorate, and forbidding opponents to this action to voice their opposition is a serious matter, causing one to doubt whether the CoS is still a “church.” Of course, these recent matters are merely the result of decades of not requiring officers to actually believe the confessional standards.

Whatever one may say of the Free churches of Scotland, they do take confessional subscription seriously. I’m sure their emphasis on such matters as purity of worship, the regulative principle, and confessional subscription seem strange to one coming from the CoS. Yet, these are true to the Scottish Presbyterian tradition. My experience with the FCoS-C in Scotland left me in awe of the serious faith and godliness of their members. I counted it an honor to worship with them.

The Free churches could use some outside influences to move them away from some of their Highlander cultural baggage. Perhaps there will come a time when you will come to a revised opinion of them.

In the meantime, may God use you to influence young minds toward the truth of the gospel.
 
ReformedWretch said:
What I've learned about teens is this, be HONEST. Don't treat them like they are dumb or unable to understand. Don't treat them like your their superior there to bring them out of their stupidity. Don't treat them like you're their drill sergeant there to make sure they get in line. Treat them like you're an adult that cares about them and wants to interact. You'll then gain their respect. Once you've gained their respect you can be their teacher/guide/counselor.
Click to expand...

I think this is great advice as far as the mannerism to approach them with. I would add about the treating them dumb, use the language the bible uses. If the bible uses a word like propitiation, or regeneration, or sanctification in the verses your teaching from use the words of the bible and give them a definition for them. So often these words are not taught because there not part of our common vocabulary, but the "big words" in the bible are the ones you can meditate on for hours.
 
ahh ok I got my definition wrong. I heard a preacher use "inductive" in that way. So I thought thats what it meant.

Yes indeed I want to teach scripture in its context. I absolutely want to do that, thats what im aiming for. What are some questions and interactions that we could have, whilst remaining on the path of the study, that could keep it interactive - yet not deviating from getting the main points of teaching across?

Like what are some questions I can ask people to respond to say if were studying propitiation? or some other interaction we could have.

What I'm trying to avoid is a monologue because I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work out well with my pastor. I'm pretty sure he wants it to be a bit less preachy and a bit more open and some dialogue.
 
Like what are some questions I can ask people to respond to say if were studying propitiation? or some other interaction we could have.
Click to expand...

You could ask the following questions:

What is the difference between propitiation and expiation? Why does God's wrath need to be propitiated? How did Christ's atonement propitiate God's wrath? Why did Jesus have to be both God and man in order to propitiate God's wrath?
 
Hey, thanks for all your help guys.

I think those are some pretty good questions to be asking.

I'm starting to feel better about this whole youth club thing
 
I agree with Joshua. Use the Westminster Shorter Catechism (especially since you are Presbyterian) Perhaps you could simplify it if it is too difficult for them to understand but remember that our catechisms were written for instruction to the youth. Otherwise you could use the Heidelberg Catechism since it is more personal and tends to focus more on the response of the catechumen.

In either case use plenty of scripture or simply explain the doctrine from the texts that are cited and footnoted.
 
Making any lesson interactive and allowing Q and A would be helpful with teens. It should be a guided dialogue instead or a monologue or spiel.
 
Sonoftheday said:
I think this is great advice as far as the mannerism to approach them with. I would add about the treating them dumb, use the language the bible uses. If the bible uses a word like propitiation, or regeneration, or sanctification in the verses your teaching from use the words of the bible and give them a definition for them. So often these words are not taught because there not part of our common vocabulary, but the "big words" in the bible are the ones you can meditate on for hours.
Click to expand...

This is what I've experienced with teaching young kids or the youth. The cry for them is always for me to simplify things for them. As is the trend of a fast food culture, they always want things fast, short, and simple. Try not to accommodate that. Instead of simplifying things to its barebones for them try to bring them up to the level of the text or doctrine. Of course this depends on the level of spiritual maturity of your group but more often than not people cry for milk just because they're lazy to chew not because they can't.
 
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